20 January 2011

Obituary--Mrs. William Ross

This obituary is chock full of information.  Everything you could want, except her name.  No where is her first name or even maiden name mentioned.  
Drives me crazy. 
From the 12 March 1914 Fremont TimesIndicator:

White Cloud
Otto Godfrey, Correspondent
Mrs. William Ross died suddenly here Monday night, Marc 2, about 9:30 of apoplexy.  Death came almost as soon as she entered her home after attending services in the Congregational church.  She was born August 15, 1857, at Clarkson, Monroe county, New York. When she was six years old she moved with her parents to Sparta, Mich., where she lived until she married William Ross, July 4, 1874.  To this union were born six children, two of whom died in infancy.  The other four children, namely, Charles S. Ross, of Detroit, Wm. D. Ross, Mrs. Mable V. Nichols and Miss Vera Ross, together with their father and many friends, are left to mourn their loss.  Mrs. Ross came to this place in 1876.  She was a member of the Cougregational church, from which she turned into a firm believer in Christian Science.  She was a member of the W. C. T. U., also of the Eastern Star lodge in Newaygo.  The funeral was held at the house Thursday morning at 11:00, the Rev. D. Truman, of Newaygo, officiating, and the remains were laid to rest in Prospect Hill cemetery.


I don't want to cast stones on  Mr. Godfrey, but obituaries like this who don't give a hint to the woman's name drive me crazy.  No parents name, not even her first name.  Another common practice is to talk about moving "here", member "here", buried "here".   All the while never telling where "here" is.  There is the obvious clue with the fact that this was the White Cloud community column, and that she was buried in Prospect Hill cemetery, which is the main White Cloud cemetery.  But in reading it, the only current location mentioned is Newaygo.  She was a member of a Newaygo lodge, and a Newaygo clergy officiated at the funeral.  You could almost believe that "here" was Newaygo instead of White Cloud.
Please, give us specifics!!

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